Workers of Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti on Monday shut down the institution in protest and called for the immediate sack of the Rector, Dr. Theresa Akande.
The staff, who also staged a protest and declared an indefinite strike, accused Akande of financial scam running into several millions of naira among other myriad offences she was alleged to have committed.
The aggrieved workers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic and Non Academic Staff Union, blocked the main entrance to the institution and prevented staff and students from gaining entry.
The placard-carrying workers accused the Rector of allegedly embezzling N350 million unremitted cooperatives funds and perpetrating illegal pension deductions from contract
staff benefits in brazen disregard to Polytechnic financial regulations.
The leaders of the unions – Tunji Owoye, Dr. Oluwole Ayeni and Prince Adekunle Adeniyi for : ASUP, SSANIP and NASU respectively – lambasted the Akande for promoting despotism, favouritism and nepotism in staff promotions.
They said the institution remains closed pending the time the impasse and the allegation of corruption and others leveled against Akande are cleared by the Federal Government.
The ASUP Chairman in his speech called on the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, to direct Akande to step aside pending the time investigations by anti-graft agencies would be completed.
However, the Rector, who dispelled the allegation through the Polytechnic’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol, Adeyemi Adejolu, accused the workers of impatience and hidden agenda.
Akande said she expected them to await the outcome of the probe they jointly called for before resorting to protest.
Akande said: “Why can’t they wait for the outcome of Federal Government’s intervention in this matter?
“They had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and other anti-graft bodies are intervening.
“I expect that they await the outcome if they are not pursuing selfish agenda.”
The ASUP leader catalogued a seven-point offence against the Rector.
These include “non-implementation of CONTISS 15 as directed by FG, non-remittance of staff contributions to cooperative societies, deduction of pension from contract and casual workers, non-refund of pension deduction, highhandedness in policy implementation, award of contracts without following due process and over-employment.
“The entire Polytechnic Community is tired of her administration and her leadership style. Several times she has tried to polarize institution and de-unionize us using different devices, including divide and rule and tribal sentiments.
“Most recent is the use of new workers against the old, which accounted for why she over-bloated the system with frivolous employment.
“As we speak now, CONTISS 15 is operational in all the Polytechnics in this country, except Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti. She cajoled us in October, 2013, promising to start when the finances improve, but only to turn around and told us there was no such plan for us.”
Buttressing the foregoing allegations, NASU chairman accused the Rector of placing workers of the same cadre in different grade levels based on fraternity with her.
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